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Korn
Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup includes five members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. Korn was originally formed by three of the members of the band L.A.P.D. Korn released their first demo album, Neidermayer's Mind, in 1993. The band later went on to release their self-titled debut album in 1994, followed by Life Is Peachy in 1996. The band experienced mainstream success with Follow the Leader (1998) and Issues (1999), both of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The band's mainstream success continued with Untouchables (2002) and Take a Look in the Mirror (2003). A compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, was released in 2004, spanning a decade of singles and concluding the band's recording contract with Immortal Records and Epic Records. They signed to Virgin Records, releasing See You on the Other Side in 2005, and an untitled album in 2007. Korn's other recent albums, Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010) and The Path of Totality (2011), were released via Roadrunner Records, with the latest album The Paradigm Shift (2013) being released via Prospect Park and Caroline Records. As of 2012, Korn had sold around 35 million copies worldwide. Eleven of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of which have peaked in the top five. Eight official releases are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and one is certified Gold. Korn has released seven video albums and thirty-nine music videos. The band has released forty-one singles, twenty-eight of which have charted. Korn has earned two Grammy Awards out of seven nominations. The band has received two MTV Video Music Awards from eleven nominations. Style and legacy The band has stated that their primary influences include Metallica, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Sepultura, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Duran Duran, Fear Factory, Cathedral, Living Color, Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, Slayer, Pink Floyd, Primus, Tool, Ministry, Mr. Bungle, Biohazard, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, N.W.A., Anthrax, and Jane's Addiction. Much of their work has been inspired by hip hop music, as suggested in the cover song of Ice Cube's "Wicked", and "All in the Family". They are the first band to be labeled as nu metal. Alongside this genre, the band has also been labeled as heavy metal, alternative metal, alternative rock, grunge, post-grunge, hard rock, rap metal, funk metal, groove metal and industrial metal. Their debut album mixed metal, rock, hip-hop, groove, and dissonance. Their lyrics focus on pain and personal alienation rather than traditional heavy metal themes. In Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk, Korn was marked as the third biggest nu metal band in the world. Due to controversies and arguments over the band being heavy metal or not than just with nu metal being heavy metal or not, lead singer Jonathan Davis commented, "I remember when were coming out we were fighting being called a metal band because we weren't a metal band, we were something that wasn't classifiable," Davis says. "Then they came up with 'nu-metal' but that's still cheesy. It's frustrating." The band's debut album warranted a Parental Advisory label solely because of the album's lyrics. Many of Korn's first works are based on early experiences. The song "Daddy" was described by lead singer Jonathan Davis: "When I was a kid, I was being abused by somebody else and I went to my parents and told them about it, and they thought I was lying and joking around. They never did shit about it. They didn't believe it was happening to their son.... I don't really like to talk about that song. This is as much as I've ever talked about it..." "Kill You" was written about Davis's experiences as a child with his step mother. Follow the Leader marked the first album where the majority of the lyrics did not have origins relating to early occurrences, with songs like "Justin" and "Pretty" written about incidents occurring during adulthood. Bassist Reginald Arvizu plays his instrument using both the techniques of fingerstyle and slapping. Jonathan Davis was said by Doug Small to be "the eye of the storm around which the music of Korn rages." Small described the band as "a basket-case full of contradictions." Although the band virtually had no support by television or by radio broadcasting in its first four years, Korn would go on to influence Pleymo, Adema, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Evanescence, P.O.D., Cold, Machine Head, Staind, System of a Down, Seether, One Minute Silence, Flyleaf, Kittie, Endo, Taproot, Crazy Town, Otep, Hoobastank, Five Pointe O, Lacuna Coil, Chris Volz, Videodrone, Theory of a Deadman, Thousand Foot Krutch, Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, Sevendust, Nonpoint, Saliva, Drowning Pool, Spineshank, Trust Company, Ill Nino, Mudvayne, Shinedown, Coal Chamber, Three Days Grace, Flymore, Trapt, Molotov, Hollywood Undead and other bands.Korn also created a fan-base described by both Doug Small and Eaton Entertainment as extremely loyal. Vulgarity in lyrics Prior to the release of 1998's Follow the Leader, Gretchen Plewes, a Zeeland high school assistant principal, said in an interview for a Michigan newspaper that Korn's music is "indecent, vulgar, obscene and intends to be insulting" after giving a student, Eric VanHoven, a one-day suspension for wearing a shirt with the Korn logo on it. WKLQ was filmed giving away hundreds of free Korn T-shirts, which were donated by the band, outside the school. Ottawa County policemen helped hand out shirts as well. Korn filed a cease and desist order against Plewes and the school district for their comments. They also threatened with a multi-million dollar lawsuit, but both suits were dropped due to the band members' personal lives. Personal Rating Undeniably a legend of Metal. Regardless of personal tastes. 10/10.